


Hanging on By a Thread

by truth_renowned



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Car vs Pedestrian, F/M, Fluff, Graphic Descriptions of Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Doing Horrible Things to Daniel Again, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15281034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/pseuds/truth_renowned
Summary: He’d been in the bed, unmoving, for going on five hours now, his breathing steady, the slow rhythm comforting her. He was shirtless, though the crisp white sheet afforded him some modesty, covering him from his foot up to his collarbone and shoulders. His hair curled on the ends, and deep slashes marred the right side of his face from temple to jawline. Leaning forward, she lightly traced the jagged lines, wanting more than anything for him to wake.





	Hanging on By a Thread

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to lillianmmalter, whose advice always helps me strengthen my writing.

Peggy stirred in the chair, trying to shake the fog of sleep from her brain. She glanced at the clock on the wall; she’d slept less than twenty minutes. She chastised herself for letting her guard down for that long. 

She stretched her arms over her head, then leaned her head to the side, cringing as she heard it pop. Hospital chairs, like hospital beds, left much to be desired as far as comfort. She hated hospitals, possibly even more than Daniel. 

He’d been in the bed, unmoving, for going on five hours now, his breathing steady, the slow rhythm comforting her. He was shirtless, though the crisp white sheet afforded him some modesty, covering him from his foot up to his collarbone and shoulders. His hair curled on the ends, and deep slashes marred the right side of his face from temple to jawline. Leaning forward, she lightly traced the jagged lines, wanting more than anything for him to wake.

It had taken several harsh words and all of her pull as assistant SSR chief (a title she’d made up on the spot) to get Daniel his own hospital room. They wanted to put him in with three other patients but Peggy wouldn’t budge until they wheeled him into a private room. The minute the doctor and nurse had left the first time, Peggy dragged the chair next to his bed. And that was where she stayed, close but no contact when the nurse came in to take vitals. When the nurse wasn’t there? That was a different story.

She took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze, hoping for a response but receiving none, just as with her other attempts. He hadn’t been awake. Not since he was hit. Tears pricked her eyes as she remembered watching him cross the street and the car, coming out of seemingly nowhere, slamming into him. It lifted Daniel up, his right side crashing into the windshield. The car screeched to a stop, then suddenly it was moving in reverse, traveling several yards before Daniel rolled off and fell to the asphalt. Before she could move, the car turned in a J shape, going from reverse to forward in seconds, and drove away down a side street.

She was at Daniel’s side in a flash, ignoring the overwhelming amount of blood and sitting next to him. The car had hit him so hard, his prosthetic lay perpendicular to his leg, the metal sticking out through a long tear in his bloody pant leg. For some reason, she lifted his arm into her lap, the chunks of broken glass in his forearm mesmerizing her. When the sunlight hit it just right, the shards coated in his blood shone like a red light.

So she sat there, his arm cradled in her lap, until paramedics arrived, going between murmuring reassurances to him and barking orders to the LAPD officers to secure the scene as if they were her own subordinates. One of her first orders was to call Rose at the office.

After Daniel was taken away in the ambulance, one of the officers told her it must have been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pedestrian hit-and-run accidents weren’t uncommon in Los Angeles, especially near the beaches. But she knew better. This was no accident. This urgent case from LAPD, a mysterious death in Santa Monica, was a ruse. Someone wanted Daniel dead. 

She couldn’t help thinking it was tied to Jack’s shooting. He was still in the hospital, one several miles from here, alive and awake but still in critical condition. The same condition Daniel was in. 

This was not an accident and certainly no coincidence. This was a concerted effort to disable the SSR. With both chiefs out of the way, something terrible was going to happen. Peggy could feel it in her bones.

Once one of Daniel’s trusted agents arrived on scene, Peggy briefed him and then left. She’d arrived at the hospital just in time to see Daniel being wheeled into surgery to repair the damage to his stump left by the mangled remnants of the prosthetic, and to remove the myriad glass shards embedded in his arm. During the hours-long surgery, Peggy phoned Rose and set the investigative wheels in motion. Rose didn’t question her assessment of the ‘accident’; in fact, she agreed it was a planned assault. They were determined to find out who was behind it and why. 

Rose also didn’t question why Peggy refused to leave Daniel’s side. For his safety, of course, Rose had said. Peggy didn’t disagree, but both women knew the truth.

Daniel took a deep breath, which shouldn’t have alarmed her. The terrible wheezing sound accompanying it, however, did. Then a raspy moan. Another inhale, more wheezing, worse this time. A third, the wheezing gone but replaced by gurgling. Something was wrong. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. No inhale. No exhale. His lips turning blue...

Peggy shot up out of the chair and ran to the door, flinging it open.

“Help! I need help in here! He’s not breathing!”

A squat middle-aged man with dark receding hair and a white doctor’s coat that was inches too long for him, ran to the door. Peggy recognized him as the doctor who had taken Daniel back for surgery, though she didn’t catch his name. He elbowed his way past her to the bed. 

He felt Daniel’s neck, then his chest. He turned toward the door and yelled, “He’s crashing. We need the cart and point-five milligrams of epi, stat!”

One of the nurses who had been in earlier suddenly appeared in the doorway. For the first time, Peggy noticed the woman’s coral-colored lipstick almost perfectly matched her carrot-red hair. Her gaze dropped to the woman’s name badge, declaring her Nurse Lee in gold letters. 

Why hadn’t Peggy noticed any of this before? Why hadn’t she gotten names? She was a professional, through and through. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like the agent in her was hanging on by a thread?

“Ma’am, please, you need to step outside,” the nurse said.

Peggy looked at the woman and realized the words were for her. “But… I… he’s a federal—“

“Ma’am, please,” Nurse Lee repeated, her voice still friendly but the words more forceful. “You need to let us do our jobs.”

Peggy took a shaky breath and stepped aside just as another nurse, this one older with curly silver hair, was wheeling a metal cart toward the room.

“Epinephrine?” Nurse Lee asked.

The other nurse nodded. “Two at point-five. On the cart.”

Both nurses pushed the cart inside and closed the door.

Through the thin slit of the door’s window, Peggy watched as the doctor stood over Daniel, needle poised in his hand like a knife. He stabbed down onto Daniel’s chest, and Peggy gasped. The needle must have gone straight into his heart! It took every ounce of willpower for her not to rip open the door and stop them. What were they doing? Rose said this hospital was clean, one they’d brought agents to before, but what if…

Peggy hadn’t realized she was shaking. Her fingernails dug into her palm as she whispered, “I swear to God, Daniel Sousa, if you die, I will never forgive you.”

He couldn’t die. They… them being together… it hadn’t even started, really. From the kiss in his office to now was a mere three days. In between that was finding out about Jack’s shooting, investigating the crime scene, corresponding with New York and D.C., talking to Jack about what happened once he awakened… then this case. Three days. In that time, she and Daniel had shared a few private kisses and one working dinner at Howard’s. No time alone to talk. No time alone at all. 

It couldn’t end this way. It _would not_ end this way. She wouldn’t permit it. She took a deep breath, willing the trembling away. 

One nurse had a blood pressure cuff on Daniel’s arm, and the other was taking his pulse at his neck. The round part of a stethoscope sat on Daniel’s chest, the doctor listening intently. They stayed that way for an agonizing amount of time before the doctor finally looked at Nurse Lee and nodded. She removed her hand from Daniel’s neck and the second nurse removed the blood pressure cuff, but kept it in her hands.

Peggy couldn’t stand it any longer. She opened the door and stuck her head in. 

“Is he okay? What happened?”

The doctor whipped his head around, a grimace stretching his lips. His expression softened at whatever he saw on Peggy’s face. She had a feeling that despite her best efforts to remain professional, he saw worry. And fear.

Approaching her, he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck. “Miss… sorry. Agent… Carter, correct?”

“Yes, yes,” she said dismissively. “How is he?”

He looked behind her for a few beats, then met her gaze. “His heart stopped but we restarted it. A shot of adrenaline directly into the heart muscle. It looks harsh but it’s very effective. It’s a good thing you were here to alert us so quickly.”

All Peggy was capable of was a terse nod.

“Nurses Lee and Dunn will stay with him,” the doctor continued, “for about fifteen minutes or so, just to make sure his vitals stay stable. I’m also having them administer some medication to keep his blood pressure in check. We’ll keep the door open but we need you to stay out here until they are done.”

“Yes, of course,” she responded with as much calm as she could muster.

He looked behind her again, then left the room.

Peggy leaned against the wall next to the door, exhaling heavily. Daniel was okay. They saved him in time. She saved him in time. 

She had to keep it together. She was Agent Peggy Carter. She’d seen combat, seen men get hurt in worse ways, in more dire situations. Why was this affecting her so much? 

She glanced in the room, seeing Daniel, his lips now back to their normal blush-pink color, his chest moving up and down in a smooth rhythm. 

The answer to her question was crystal-clear.

She turned on her heel, then almost yelled out as she saw a tall, dapperly dressed man standing behind her, a leather satchel-style briefcase clutched in his hand.

“Mr. Jarvis,” she breathed out. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long,” he replied, though his worried expression betrayed his words.

“What…” She paused, lowering her voice. “What are you doing here?”

“Miss Roberts phoned me.”

“That’s--”

Peggy was interrupted by the older nurse walking toward the door.

“Is something wrong?” Peggy asked.

“No, ma’am,” the nurse replied. “I’m just getting the medication the doctor ordered.” She gave Mr. Jarvis a once-over. “Is he another agent?”

Peggy swallowed as she shot him a look. “Well, technically—“

“Yes, Nurse…” He paused, extending a hand as he glanced at her name badge. “Nurse Dunn, I see. Ed… _Agent_ Edwin Jarvis, at your service. Thank you for your assistance in stabilizing our Chief Sousa.”

The nurse shook his hand, confusion scrunching her already lined forehead. “I never realized there were so many British people in our government.”

“Oh yes,” Mr. Jarvis responded smoothly. “We’re everywhere. United States, Great Britain. We’re all allies in the fight for justice, here and around the world.” 

The nurse still looked confused as she walked away.

Peggy cocked her head to the side, staring straight at him.

“Agent Jarvis?”

He shrugged. “Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? As I was saying, Miss Roberts thought you could use a break. I can stay here, and you can take the car back to Mr. Stark’s.”

She smiled softly. “Thank you, Mr. Jarvis, but I would rather stay here.”

He nodded. “I assumed you would say that, so I asked Ana to pack a change of clothing and some toiletries for you.”

So that was what was in the briefcase, which he sat next to her.

“I noticed a women’s restroom two doors down on the left. Take as long as you need, Miss Carter. Agent Jarvis is on the job.” He pulled aside his suit jacket to reveal a pistol. “And I’m packing heat.”

Shaking her head at his proud grin, she glanced at the briefcase. She could take a few minutes to change. She could leave Daniel in Mr. Jarvis’s hands. She trusted him. There were few people she trusted more.

Then why did every bone in her body scream at her to stay?

“You’ll be right here?” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat as a cover. “You’ll keep a close eye on him?”

“Of course. I won’t move from this spot.”

She hoped her smile spoke the ‘thank you’ she couldn’t voice. 

Picking up the briefcase, she headed down the hall, finding the women’s restroom and entering. She exhaled in relief; the room was empty. She stepped into a stall and unlatched the briefcase, finding a pair of navy blue slacks and her favorite pink-orange shirt, the one that had been covered in her own blood from when she popped her stitches in the surveillance van. She assumed the shirt was a throwaway but Mr. Jarvis had worked his magic. No hint of blood anywhere. 

Peggy started unbuttoning her white shirt, then looked down. For the first time, she realized it was covered in blood. Daniel’s blood, in wide swaths, like macabre stripes on the silk. Evidence of his near death on her clothing, soaking through to her skin. His blood on her skin. Soaking through…

The tears came in earnest, sobs racking her down to her soul. Hiccupping through the tears, she nearly ripped the shirt from her body, needing to get it off. She tossed the shirt to the floor, then leaned her shoulder against the stall, her legs threatening to give out. The cold of the stall’s metal wall, along with the air conditioning, sent goose bumps down her bare arms. Though it was chilly, the air in the room was heavier somehow, weighing down on her like a cold stone.

It took more effort than it should have to even out her breathing, allowing her to regain some control, though the tears still flowed. Without cleaning up, she slipped on the clean shirt, buttoning it with shaky hands. She struggled out of her shoes, tears clouding her ability to release the side straps. The slacks were next, trading her bloody and dusty green ones for the fresh navy blue. 

With her hands braced against the stall door, she demanded the tears to cease, but they refused. The last time she remembered crying this much was when Steve’s plane went down. She’d seen death, more than her fair share, but when it was this close to her heart, the pain was unbearable.

She had to keep it together. She was useless to Daniel like this. She was useless to herself like this. 

After several deep breaths in and out for what felt like hours, she finally felt calm enough to refasten the shoe straps. She stuffed the clothes into the briefcase, exited the stall and moved to the sink. Her face was a wreck, black mascara leaving trails down her cheeks, her eyes puffy, her lips minus their signature red. Turning on the cold water, she wet a paper towel and placed it over her eyes for several seconds, reveling in the coolness and pressure, before wiping the mascara streaks from her face. Then she reapplied the mascara Ana had packed for her. A quick application of lipstick, a brush through her hair, and she assessed herself as passable. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been in the restroom, but it had to be nearly thirty minutes. Part of her wanted to admonish herself for being gone so long. The other part, the one currently winning, was grateful for the time to gather her composure. 

Pushing open the door, her eyes widened. No one was standing outside Daniel’s room. Where was Mr. Jarvis? Her stomach tightened, her walk turning into a run, and she skidded to a stop at the door, which was open.

Peeking around the corner, she saw Mr. Jarvis standing at the bedside, his body blocking her view of Daniel’s face. He was speaking but she couldn’t make out the words. Nurse Dunn was standing on the other side, removing the blood pressure cuff from Daniel’s arm, her smile crooked yet sincere.

Peggy stepped into the room. “Mr… uh… Agent Jarvis?”

He turned to her. “And here she is.”

Mr. Jarvis stepped aside, and Peggy gasped.

Daniel was awake.

Peggy kept her stride steady as she entered the room, fighting the urge to run to Daniel’s side.

“I was just telling Agent Jarvis,” Nurse Dunn said to her. “This is a very good sign. I haven’t seen anyone awaken so quickly after that procedure.”

Peggy barely heard her words. She couldn’t tear her gaze from Daniel. The soft smile curling the corners of his lips nearly brought more tears to her eyes. He looked exhausted and in pain but she couldn’t remember him looking more handsome.

“Hi, Peg.”

“Hello to you, Daniel,” she replied, relieved at the steadiness of her voice.

“Nurse Dunn,” Mr. Jarvis said, “could you tell me more about the procedure the doctor performed? It sounds fascinating. Shall we step outside?”

“Yes, of course,” the nurse said, moving away from the bedside.

Peggy heard footsteps, then the door closing.

She lowered her hand to the bed, next to but not quite touching his. She sighed as she felt his thumb brush over the back of her hand, back and forth at a snail’s pace, soothing her. Possibly soothing himself as well.

“How do you feel?” she asked softly.

“Like I was hit by a car.”

She huffed out a laugh. Hearing his sarcasm was music to her ears. He was on his way to healing. To becoming himself again. The Daniel she knew and…. She shook off the thought.

“I have one question,” he said.

“We weren’t able to catch up to the car, and no one caught the license plate number. We’re--”

“Not about the accident,” he interrupted, one eyebrow arching slightly. “Agent Jarvis?”

She pursed her lips. “Oh yes. That. It’s part of the… assistant SSR chief… scenario.”

“Assistant SSR chief?”

She shrugged. “I had to think fast. I thought that might have more authority than just agent, especially to the doctors.”

“That I understand. But... _Agent_ Jarvis?”

“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh. “I needed a valid reason for him to stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because we need all the people we can trust.” 

He nodded slowly. “This wasn’t an accident, was it?”

“I don’t think so. Neither does Rose. She’s leading the investigation into finding the vehicle. Our only agents she trusts are Baxter, Fletcher, Harris and Cady. The rest haven’t been told where you are or what happened. Rose talked with Jack to find out which of his men he trusted and she’s arranging for their transport out here.”

“LAPD still guarding Jack?”

Peggy wasn’t surprised by the question. Even in pain, Daniel was ever the chief. 

“No,” she said. “We pulled them off and put Harris and Cady on. Baxter relieved me on-scene and Rose sent Fletcher to assist him. As soon as the New York agents arrive, we’ll redistribute duties and you’ll have other guards. So for now, you’re stuck with me.”

His hand covered hers. “There’s no one I feel safer with.”

She started at the sound of the door opening, pulling her hand away just as the doctor walked inside.

“Nurse Dunn said you were awake,” he said to Daniel. Peggy took a step back but the doctor waved it off. “Stay. I actually need to talk to you.” 

The doctor held out his hand to Daniel. “Frank Wyland.”

“Thank you, Dr. Wyland,” Daniel said, shaking the man’s hand weakly. “Heard you performed a miracle.”

“Just doing my job, Chief. Your coloring is much better, and your blood pressure is normal. The nurses will still be bugging you. We need to make sure your pressure stays that way. Best thing for you is sleep. No getting out of bed and walking around.”

“I can guarantee that,” Daniel replied with a smirk, and Peggy saw him move his stump under the sheet.

“Oh, I guess not,” the doctor said with an uncomfortable smile. He then turned to Peggy. “Got a call from the Secretary of Defense’s office, some guy named Colonel Phillips.”

Peggy’s eyebrow rose a notch. “Chester Phillips?”

“Yeah, I think Chester was the first name. Kind of gruff. Sounded like someone ruined his day.”

She fought a smile. “That’s him.”

“Anyway, he said the vice president himself has demanded the five-star treatment for Chief Sousa here.” He looked at Daniel. “You really know people in high places.”

“Apparently,” Daniel replied.

“We’re getting our VIP room ready. It’s isolated on one wing of the fourth floor. We usually have our security guards available but I’m assuming you’ll have your own?”

Daniel motioned toward Peggy. “Ask her, Doc. She’s in charge.”

“We would appreciate the assistance of your security guards for the time being,” she said. “Perhaps posted at the elevators?”

“I’ll make sure it happens,” Dr. Wyland replied. “By the way, Agent Carter, Phillips wants you to call him as soon as you can. I have his number. You can use the phone at the nurses’ station.”

He handed Peggy one of his cards, which she flipped over and found a handwritten phone number.

“Dr. Wyland, before Chief Sousa is taken there, would it be possible for me to inspect the room for… anything that shouldn’t be there?”

“Of course. We’ve had Hollywood stars stay in that room and their people do the same thing. I’ll let them know you’ll be up.”

He nodded to Daniel, then to Peggy before he left.

She watched his exit before turning her attention back to Daniel.

“You know this Phillips?” he asked.

“Yes, we worked together during the war. I didn’t know he was working in D.C. now. I wonder if Rose knew.”

Daniel’s shoulders rose in a hint of a shrug. “Rose knows all.”

“That she does.”

A silence surrounded them, just shy of being awkward. She wasn’t sure what to say. ‘I’m glad you’re alive.’? ‘I don’t know what I would have done if you had died.’?

He must have sensed her thoughts. “I’m not gonna die, Peg. Doc says I’m improving.” He reached for her hand. “And anyway, I have too much to look forward to.”

He tugged lightly on her hand, and she leaned down, bracing herself with her other hand on the mattress. She touched her lips to his. The kiss wasn’t as heated as others, wasn’t as long as others. But somehow it was more intimate and passionate than any of its predecessors.

She pulled back, lost in the feeling of contentment and joy. And — God help her at how inappropriate it was to be thinking it in a hospital — desire.

“Yeah,” he said, drawing out the word. “Looking forward to more of that.”

“Amongst other things.” She flinched as she realized what she’d said.

“That, too,” he replied, a sly grin lighting up his face even as she saw a blush tinting the tips of his ears.

She let go of his hand to touch his face, her fingers tracing his jawline, steering clear of the wounds. His eyes closed and she felt his head lean into her touch. Her heart swelled at the thought of what the future held for them. Not professionally but personally. What they together would become.

“Daniel, I lov--” She stopped short, a sharp inhale as she looked away. 

Good Lord! Where in the bloody hell did that come from?

“The room,” she sputtered out. “I need to check the room. The VIP one. For listening devices. And other... things.”

She held her breath, waiting for him to say something but he remained silent. Maybe he didn’t hear her slip-up. He was still groggy. He probably missed it. Not the room word but the other one. The other four-letter word she almost said.

“You heard the doctor, Daniel. You need rest.” She gave his hand a final squeeze, then let go. “Agent Jarvis will be guarding you while I’m gone.”

He sighed. “Please stop calling Jarvis that. He’ll think it’s real.”

“As assistant SSR chief,” she replied, walking away from the bedside, “I will break it to him gently that it’s a temporary assignment only.”

She pulled on the door handle just as Daniel said, “Peg?”

She turned back, eyebrows raised.

“That word you almost said?”

A breath caught in her throat. Biting the inside of her lip, she nodded and hoped he couldn’t see the embarrassment building in her cheeks.

“Me, too,” he added.

Her only response was a smile that felt like it spanned ear to ear.


End file.
